felt

noun \ ˈfelt \

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Definition of felt

1 a : a cloth made of wool and fur often mixed with natural or synthetic fibers through the action of heat, moisture, chemicals, and pressure

b : a firm woven cloth of wool or cotton heavily napped and shrunk

2 : an article made of felt

3 : a material resembling felt: such as

a : a heavy paper of organic or asbestos fibers impregnated with asphalt and used in building construction

b : semirigid pressed fiber insulation used in building

—

feltlike

adjective

See felt defined for English-language learners

See felt defined for kids

Examples of felt in a Sentence

She made her son's costume from scraps of felt.

Recent Examples of felt from the Web

Brinson last played July 3 against Tampa Bay, a 16-inning affair that re-aggravated an injury the 24-year-old felt days prior.

— matthew defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Marlins center fielder Lewis Brinson diagnosed with hip bone bruise," 13 July 2018
Both at the top of the music industry, the two icons perhaps best understood how the other felt.

— hannah yasharoff, USA TODAY, "'Whitney' documentary: 5 things you didn't know about Whitney Houston," 4 July 2018
Linda had recounted this happening to her sister, musing whether the cardinal somehow carried the felt-sense of her beloved husband.

— philip chard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A cardinal's song, or a spiritual experience?," 5 July 2018
Most everyone who had been here before felt that the mood was different.

— kurt wagner, Recode, "Cannes Lions, the ad industry’s biggest party, might finally be sobering up," 23 June 2018
And the young people in that category, already vulnerable, felt especially rejected, betrayed, and deemed worthless.

— peter keough, BostonGlobe.com, "In Focus: ‘Believer’ aims to convert the faithful," 21 June 2018
Spots show up elsewhere, too: on sure-to-be-collectible coasters, matchbooks, swizzle sticks, and even the felts of the gaming tables nearby and on casino chips.

— adam robb, Condé Nast Traveler, "Las Vegas Just Got a Bar Designed by Damien Hirst," 17 May 2018
Trace the shoe cover template twice onto orange felt; cut out.

— woman's day staff, Woman's Day, "40 of the Cutest Family Halloween Costumes Ever," 30 June 2017
There was a bamboo handle and a clasp positioned on deep green felt.

— liana satenstein, Vogue, "Can a Summer Bag Change Your Mindset for the Better?," 31 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'felt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of felt

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German filz felt, Latin pellere to drive, beat

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

felt

verb

Definition of felt

felted; felting; felts

transitive verb

1 : to make out of or cover with felt

2 : to cause to adhere and mat together

3 : to make into felt or a similar substance

Recent Examples of felt from the Web

Highlights of the morning will include a sheep shearing demonstration at 10 a.m. Children can make a nesting ball, take home a soap felting kit and try their hand at needle felt.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Vernon Edition," 15 May 2018
The question of why a writer can make the words on the page come to felt life in one genre but not another — why the gift of expressiveness is extended here while that of appreciation goes there — this question remains unanswerable.

— vivian gornick, New York Times, "James Wood’s New Novel Confronts the Mystery of Other Minds," 14 June 2018
Meek's crew caught 1800 beavers here in 1850 alone, shipping their pelts to Europe to be felted into waterproof hats.

— ben goldfarb, Science | AAAS, "Beaver dams without beavers? Artificial logjams are a popular but controversial restoration tool," 7 June 2018
Another intriguing sustainability initiative comes from womenswear label Eileen Fisher, whose DesignWork project works with artists and makers to felt and stitch used garments into wall hangings, upholstery, pillows, and more.

— jenny xie, Curbed, "All the NYCxDesign 2018 highlights you should know," 30 May 2018
Bynder, a brand management company with offices in Fort Point, has devoted a big area to a pool table felted in the light blue color of the company’s logo.

— andy rosen, BostonGlobe.com, "Not your parents’ office? Now it is: Tech workspaces start to grow up," 5 Apr. 2018
Coming to felt like swimming up from the depths of a murky pond.

— lana hoch, Marie Claire, "I Cheated on My Boyfriend with My Rapist," 2 Feb. 2018
These fun felted wool bunnies are available sitting, lying on their backs, or holding a basket.

— alejandra bennett, Sunset, "10 Easter Decorations with a Touch of Whimsy," 22 Jan. 2018
In a year where every aspect of our culture felt connected in ways that were either hard to understand or felt like a stretch, Browne got to the bottom of it all.

— Longreads, "Longreads Best of 2017: Sports Writing," 13 Dec. 2017